Totally hated it.. Here's the story. The Billiards are First Come First Served basis. So sooner you come, you get the table IN AN IDEAL WORLD ! ( 8$ per hour ) ..We were 5 of us. There were 10 Billiards table. 8 of them were full. When i went to reserve, I was told THERE ARE NO TABLES FREE NOW, though there were 2 free. Waited for 30 minutes right infront of the counter (AS INSTRUCTED & BY THE RULES). But both the tables were given to people coming at RANDOM & those whoever tip someone working. So I complained to the manager. NOTHING USEFUL. Moral: Don't ever go. or expect yourself to be served properly. read more

I like this center and love the grill. However, I went in to bowl tonight and was originally asked if I was a league member. I used to be but told the lady that I was not. I asked if members got a discount per game even on the weekends and didn't really understand what she said. Anyway, I told her I'd like two lanes for cross bowling. She assigned me two lanes and said I was good to go but I told her I had one other joining so she didn't have to turn them on right then. She did anyways which was fine. Until I found out an hour and half later we were being charged by the hour, per lane. The two of us each bowled three games and paid $39 each. Completely unheard of to me and the manager on duty didn't give two $h!ts about explaining and even hearing the complaint. Other centers in the area let you know if they are charging by the hour when you check in for shoes and a lane. This is an extremely bad customer experience and instead of having my south friends come up this way to bowl from now on, I'll just go south and avoid highland and their high hourly rates. read more

Restaurant is great, but I came to bowl one day and a lane would cost $27 an hour, plus shoe rentals. All in all, a casual 2-hour bowl would cost over $60, which is nuts. Absolutely no way I'm paying that much for this dingy place read more

Love this place, the staff is attentive, the grill serves up the best burger & Julie the bartender is the best there is- seriously how she remembers all of us league bowlers is amazing.Top notch customer service. read more

Reasonable prices for enjoying a few games with some friends. We didn't have to wait to get a lane on a sunday afternoon and would be fun to join a league at some point. read more

Never been to a bowling alley that never oiled before league. If you don't oil drop the lineage. Ridiculous really. How do you expect us to be consistent if shot is different. Last time I bowl league here. Don't recommend it. Rather keep going to mels or even dart. read more

Two stars for a mediocre bowling experience. Zero stars for the bartender with the attitude. Came here with three other people to have a good time. Two folks from our group didn't buy a beer after they had a short chat with the bartender about cocktails. They came back to our lanes saying the bartender was curt and snippy for no reason and was annoyed that they even asked about cocktails. I then went up to the bar to get a beer and found the bartender being rude and snippy with the people in front of me. I realized the bartender was insisting on seeing folks' passports if they were from another country. Knowing that I'm here with a friend visiting from England who did not bring his passport to this bowling alley, I asked the bartender if my friend can use his England drivers license to show that he's 40 years old and of legal drinking age. The bartender got snippy with me and said my friend from England cannot buy a beer since he doesn't have HIS PASSPORT with him. Who brings a passport to a bowling alley?! Second, if management insists on Passports at the bar from people who are from another country then they need to post a sign as a courtesy to their guests. Don't waste our time. Be up front about it. It's a rule that makes no sense but hey it's your prerogative. But for the sake of good customer service, post a sign that says so! read more

I have been coming to Highland since I was little kid and every time I have a great time. There are never really problems with the lanes and if so they get it fixed quickly. Make sure you call ahead on the weekends to see if there is a long wait because it can definitely build up quickly. Also, I think Wednesdays maybe are league night which can cause quite a wait. They have some pretty good pricing and some cool "all you can" deals. The food is okay but pretty good when it comes to bowling alleys. Great bar service, I swear the bartender is there every night and he is always ready to serve. read more

I took my nieces there on a Sunday afternoon after the park. The service was absolutely terrible. We had to switch lanes twice because either the bumper mechanism or the ball return was not working. Each time we had to switch lanes, it averaged about 10 to 15 minutes of waiting before the employees could get it figured out. I also actually heard the woman at the counter chastise the group next to us (a family with two kids) for being too loud when calling in for service. She said she couldn't understand what they were saying when everyone was talking at once. Well, maybe if your crappy, broken-down lanes worked every once in a while people wouldn't have to call you all the time. Anyhow, when we were paying out (we only played one game, which took about an hour and a half because of all the disruptions), the clerk was going to charge us full price as they charge by the hour. BS! Most of our time was spent waiting for them to service their broken down machinery. She did take a little bit off the bill but mostly gave us discounted coupons for our next visit. Yeah right! Even my 7 yr old niece said, 'let's never come here again.' I suggest you do the same. read more

The charge was for both lanes. The whole thing was that we told the cashier that we were on lane 21 and there were five people on that lane and 6 people on lane 22.and she still rang me and my wife's coworker for both lanes. Anyway I talked Sue the district manager and was informed that there was a new system in place and she may not have known what to do. Then she told me that I needed to get the money from the other people that were there, and I don't even know them. She said for your trouble I will give you a couple free games. read more

Love this bowling alley it's fun even though only once a year for special olympics. The carpet is cool. And the lanes are awesome. The bathrooms R clean. And the snack bar has a selection of great food. read more

Way way groovy service from the -4- young men at the counter!!! Very prompt and very helpful!' One of them even let me borrow his iPhone -5- charger!! read more

When asked to speak to the manager, she was not helpful or willing to accommodating in anyway.

I love the place. I'm playing in a league there and everyone is super friendly and happy. The food is good and reasonably priced. I definitely would recommend this place to anyone or family that want to beat the heat and have an amazing time bowling at the Highland Lane. read more

Bowling here is good fun. Sunday nights they have a $10 deal that includes bowling from 8 to midnight, shoe rental, and popcorn. They also have glow bowl on Friday, Saturday, and Tuesday nights. The staff is friendly too. If you're looking for a swanky place, go to highball, but if you want to hang out with you're friends and have a good time without blowing a ton of money, this is the best there is. read more

Been going here for 15 years. Always a great time and the bar has reasonable prices. Only drawback is that they aren't open late enough!!

My kids and I have taken part in Highland's Bowling Leagues for years. They're great for fun and recreation. The staff is super-friendly and knowledgeable. They want to make your experience great. Sometimes the lanes don't work so well because they're on the older side, but the staff will place you on a new lane if necessary. We go even not for league. They have great offers and it's an all-around great family place. read more

I took the family here for a night out. We had a really good time. The house balls could be a little better and the food selection was is little weak, but if you are there to bowl, it is hard to beat. read more

I've been bowling league here for over 10 years now and have always really enjoyed it. Many times my friwnds and I will come friday or saturday night for the blacklight bowling. You pay by the hour so when I go to practice by myself I can bowl quite a few games in that hour. The staff is very friendly and always helpful when lanes are acting up. I would recommend this bowling alley to anyone who wants to get some practice in or just trying to have a good time. read more

As a regular league bowler at these lanes I have to say we love these lanes. And after reading that negative review about the "bitter blonde" bartender I must share that she is actual an awesome bartender just like the entire staff at Highland Lanes. Great service from the lanes, the grill and yes even the bar! We really enjoy the friendly staff, the prompt service and the comfortable vibe. So I hope you take the compliments for your awesome staff and bartenders as seriously as you do the complaints because these people are a big part of why we keep coming back to Highland lanes! read more

The Grill is amazing. My buddy and I were hungry so we decided to try the in-house grill. Lebowski's Grill served some great food. Hands down, the best fries that I have eaten in Austin. Keep it up Brandon and Team. We will be back for sure. read more

I fell in love with Highland Lanes. I took my two girls, ages 7 and 9 for a summer afternoon of bowling. We are on a budget and the Highland Lanes website clearly stated their pricing information, which is very reasonable. This was our first visit. Walking in the front door was like stepping out of a time machine! This is an old-school, retro bowling alley. I loved the small town atmosphere, the retro score system (which I was informed they will be changing soon) and the arcade games tucked away in the corner. What really made an impression on me was how friendly everyone was, and I mean Everyone! An attendant was standing at the front counter and greeted us warmly as we came in. The cashier/attendant that helped us with shoes and lane assignment was also very friendly. She was very respectful to my girls, making jokes and conversation while we paid. Both girls met the height requirement for using the bumpers. (Having a height requirement to use bumpers seemed unusual to me. My 7 year old has a friend that is as tall as a 5th grader, but she doesn't have the coordination of a 5th grader. I think an age or ability requirement would be better. However, I'm not much of a bowler and this may be standard procedure in the industry.) There was a mixture of people there. Some groups of teens, some families, some more serious bowlers. We were assigned a lane next to a very nice guy throwing power strikes. He paused between frames and gave us a few pointers. (Did I mention that everyone was nice? What an amazing place! Reminded me of Mayberry.) The menu was pretty standard fried food fare, again reasonably priced. We shared an order of mozzarella cheese sticks in all their cheesy fried glory! They do serve beer as well. I really appreciate that it wasn't crazy loud. They had music on, a mixture of current Top 40 with 80's classics thrown in. We pre-paid for the lane and as we were winding down I noticed we were a little close on time. I was able to purchase an additional 15 minutes of time to finish out the game, hassle free. They also have some amazing deals like their current Sunday night bowling. $10 per person, unlimited bowling, includes shoe rental and a bowl of popcorn. You can't go to the movies for that price. Bottom line: I highly recommend Highland Lanes! A great place for a group or family outing. Check out their website for current specials. read more

Visited the Pro Shop and was quite impressed with the level of customer service the staff provided. Very knowledgable and took the time to guide me through a few things I was unsure of. Great prices and great variety of products. Will surely return!! read more

This is the worst service ever,One of the people working there took MY bowling ball for the stupidest reason,They we're scared I was going to brake the bowling ball , I threw the ball SOOO soft.He was VERY rude to me and my family and he should learn some respect! read more

Hello, This is for the pro shop at highland Lane. i bought a ball there and have only thrown 25 games with it. its less than two months old. The ball has a nice crack in it. i took the ball into the pro shop and asked hey i just bought this ball and now there is a crack in it. is there any thing to fix it? i was told yes we will fix it and make it right one way or another. I left the ball there thinking ok... four days later on league night i walk in and no the ball was not fixed, and i was told that they will not fix it. i was like what you said you would fix this..anyway i will not be buying there or going there again. i have been bowling there for over twenty years.. im looking into other bowling houses to take my business....I hear they are opening up a new store at Westgate too... look out south austin dont buy a ball there they dont stand behind there store or the people buying there. Where is Steve Hart he would have fixed this no problem at all...he knows the value of repeat costumers....Very sad day for me...I love highland lane been going there since i was a kid....no more for me at least no more for the pro shop there... read more

used to be a great place to go on a Friday night for the special - $10 to bowl from 9:30p till close and they played a mix of rock, dance music, a little country, a little rap but times have changed. No longer do they have the special and also they played a little rock before they started playing rap music with crappy videos and never stopped. There's a reason you get the word "rap" after taking the "c" off the front - same effect. It sounded as bad as kareoke and screwed up my bowling game. We stopped after 2 games - me and my 8 friends will take our business elsewhere... read more

everything was fine until I wanted to buy a couple beer , they did not accept my wife 's cuban pasport i bought 2 beers on my texas id .them not long enough They tough away one beer , why they removed me something I paid. Or foreigners can not have a beer like any other ? read more

Its a bowling alley, plain and simple, just like it should be. They're not trying to be weird or different, no gimmics at all. Ron Swanson would bowl here. read more

This is a fun place to take the kids. It has been remodeled, and it has easy-to-use bumpers for the younger players. Unfortunately, we were placed between two groups of serious bowlers. It was hard to teach 5 kids bowling etiquette so that they didn't disturb our neighbors. We should have been placed well away from pro bowlers! read more

Total waste of money. $30 a game and the prepubescent manager is a rude little cuss. The food takes too long to cook and they don't accept coupons even if it's their own. read more

Shocking! The staff is extremely rude and unmindful of customer's feelings. The ball return belt often keeps jamming. The technician has to open the box each time to reset, and guess what, it also counts toward your lane time. The technician is not courteous, and does not ask you to stop your game. He just opens the box and starts working, leaving you with nothing to do. He also yelled when a customer went ahead and bowled while the thing was still open. Horrible place. Would rather take my bowling to another place. read more

I love bowling. The alley is my church if you will. We went on a sunday and they didnt tell us it was hourly charge. we bowled 3 games in 2 hours and it was $60. they were unwilling to work w us or give a discount. The woman behind the counter (marilyn) smirked at my misfortune at being distraught at dropping $60 on a lane after spending over a $100 at the bar and grill. The alley is dirty, the grill is great and the bartender is friendly but if i go in to bowl again and Marilyn is working i will have no problem turning right back around and going up the road to Dart Bowl where i feel welcome and not as if im being robbed. read more

Went on a rainy summer day with the kids. Not kid friendly. No ramps for the little ones. Super strict bumper , kids under 7 ONLY! For the price and dated facility we expected a better experience. Nice and empty though, no crowds. read more

i've done a few bowling leagues, if i were to do another it would def be at highland! The staff actually pays attention when the lans malfunctions, the beers are cheep, and its not packed full of rugrats and idiots like main event type places! the lanes are decent and kept better than any other place in my opinion...... anyways this is the best place in Austin i think! read more

Came bowling for family fun. My nine year old was having trouble so when we went to get bumpers he was too "tall" for them. Staff was too concerned my nine year old could break their bumpers than being concerned about him having fun. Total waste of money! Try somewhere else for family fun! read more

I brought my post college age boys there to bowl a couple of games. Bar was closed, ball return wouldn't consistently return my personal ball, when I was checking out the clerk asked if I wanted to add a tip to the bill. Not likely. I'll go to main event next time. read more

Changing my rating to 1 Star, the lowest possible. This is the THIRD week in a row the staff have started messing with us during the last 20 or so minutes of our time. First, we suddenly had the bowling balls not returning with about 20 minutes left of our time. The employee who responded wanted us to change lanes because that lane had been problematic all day. We'd been the only ones on that lane all day (Sunday morning discount bowling) and had had no problems. They closed the lane so we left. They had another party bowling in that lane before we even cleared the building. Second time, they just shut us down with 17 minutes left on our time. The screen said 17 minutes remaining. Third time (today): 26 minutes left, no ball return. Press the Service button so our display turns yellow and they turn it off immediately but don't come to help. FOUR times this happens over a 5 minute period. Finally one of us goes up to the desk and we get our ball back. Discount bowling price and Kevin, the Rock Star working Lebowski's Grill, are the only good things about this place. read more

I have been a customer of Highland lanes for almost 20 years. I have spent an obscene amount of money in this place over the years, and unfortunately I will no longer be a customer. I have worked in customer service for more than 25 years, and I have learned alot, and there are certain things that are customer service no no's. I was called a thief by the manager of highland lanes, she slandered me with no proof, nothing at all that indicates that i stole something. As a matter of fact, i have been in several leagues, always paid my dues, and HAVE NEVER STOLE ANYTHING FROM HIGHLAND, OR IN HIGHLAND LANES. This was the most unprofessional and careless act i have ever seen by a manager of a service establishment. John i know that you read these reviews, and i hope that you read this one, because the actions of this manager was pathetic, and excusable. I know that i am only 1 consumer, and in the big picture of bottom line revenue, one customer is not gonna make or break highland lanes. But because of the actions of this manager, you just lost a long time loyal customer. What A shame!!!!!! read more

I am not one to complain about bad service but my experience here was horrible. A group of three friends and I went here on a sunday. The man at the counter was very nice and we reserved a lane. I went back up to the counter and asked for one of the smaller balls. We started bowling and having fun. Then a girl attendant (short, glasses) came up to us and rudely grabbed my ball and said 'im confiscating this ball. This is a child ball and I don't see any kids around'. I explained to her that I had broken my arm a couple months ago and so I didn't want to put too much weight on it. Without a word she took the ball and walked away!! Even the people bowling next to us were incredulous. If there was a reason why I couldn't bowl with it, like I might break something, then a rational explanation was all that was needed. My boyfriend went up and talked with the male attendent who gave us the ball back but her insensitivity and.lack of customer service completely ruined the experience. Also our lane broke down and fhey kept the clock.running so we were charged for the ten minutes of waiting around while they reset the pins. I will never go back. read more

the atomsphere at highland lanes is as authentic as it gets. from the carpet mural to the wood paneling, it takes me back to my child hood of bowling with my family on the weekends. the pricing is a decent price to bowl on. and it's not like that god awful 300 place, that makes me feel like im a yuppie for bowling there( not to mention it cost $58 for me and my gf to bowl 3 games and shoes), so try out highland lanes, it has a great price and it's like stepping into a time capsule. also, the "lebowski's grill" in highland lanes has some great food. i have eaten there a couple of times and the service and food is great. they have awesome curly fries. i have had the philly cheesesteak and their "dude" burgers and they are both top notch. it is not what you would expect to get from your normal bowling alley cafe. i have eaten at dart bowl and i like the food at highland lanes much better. read more